1920
ON THE INTRODUCTION OF THE BASIC NORM
OF WORKERS' SUPPLY

13.°,96

[SKETCH OF QUESTIONS TO THE DRAFT DECREE OF THE SNK
November 2, 1920

Previous quantity of food products?
1) Or less? Or more? And by how much?
2) Reduction of 18 norms to 5?
3) Reduction in what is actually received through the establishment
of a different order of priority?
To which categories? To what number of workers in each category? By how much less?
4) Railway workers?

1340'*

DRAFT DECREE OF THE COUNCIL OF PEOPLE'S COMMISSARS*
November 6, 1920

Recognizing the policy of the People's Commissariat of Food Supply as entirely correct, consisting in the reduction of the quantity of supply norms, charge the Food Commission with introducing a decree on the reduction of the quantity of bread distribution norms with an exact listing of these norms.

58Я5

LETTER TO THE COMMISSION
ON WORKERS' SUPPLY**
November 12, 1920

Could we not, on the question of the quantity of norms for workers' supply, establish the following procedure:

1) establish by numbers the minimum quantities of norms, for example:
norm No. 1 ordinary minimum
" No. 2 somewhat higher, such-and-such amount
" No. 3
* The sketch written by V. I. Lenin was incorporated into the decree of the Council of People's Commissars adopted on November 6, 1920.
** On the original document written by V. I. Lenin there is his instruction to his secretary: "Type it out and give it to me for signature."

LENIN COLLECTION

and so on up to No. 10 the highest norm, if the total number of norms can be limited to 10 norms.

2) Determine m o n t h l y what number of consumers (workers or employees plus family members) receives a c c o r d i n g t o e a c h n o r m.

If this could be accomplished, we would know precisely how many norms there are: first of all.

Secondly, we could easily shift individual groups from one norm to another.

Thirdly, we would always know exactly h o w m u c h w a s a c t u a l l y d i s t r i b u t e d and to how many workers.

Lenin

23313

LETTER TO S. P. SEREDA
November 6, 1920

Comrade Sereda!

I consider the articles by Mikhelson that you sent me to be of arch-importance.

It is necessary

1) immediately give them (correcting the style, combining into 1 article, editing) to Izvestia and Pravda.

2) Provide them with Y o u r afterword: conclusions (practical conclusions).

3) Give a brief extract to ROSTA for distribution throughout Russia.

4) Include all of this obligatorily: a) in Your printed report for the Congress of Soviets on December 20, b) in Your oral report (the essence and p r a c t i c a l c o n c l u s i o n s).

It is necessary to prepare all of this in advance and i n t i m e l y compel the specialists to complete all preparatory work for Your report*.

With communist greetings
Lenin

* People's Commissar of Land S. P. Sereda informed V. I. Lenin on November 25, 1920: "Vladimir Ilyich! I have carried out Your instructions concerning the publication of Professor Mikhelson's article on the coming drought (Izvestia No. 258) and my note regarding Mikhelson's article (Izvestia No. 259, I enclose).

I also sent it to Pravda, but they did not publish it because it had already been published in Izvestia. A brief note was sent to ROSTA.

I am sending You No. 788 of Bednotа and direct Your attention to the article 'How Urban Workers Organize Soviet Farms and Help the Peasantry'.—With communist greetings, S. Sereda".